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Grilled Hanger Steak with Roasted Beets over Salad

So beets have returned… which is good. Why? Because beets are very good friends with steak… which is even better. I’d never cooked a hanger steak before, but considering the results, I would have to say that a repeat performance will certainly be in order. It is a surprisingly quick cook on the grill considering the musculature and you end up with a meltingly delicious steak for less than a lot of pricier cuts. The meaty goodness of steak combined with the interesting juxtaposition of sweet and savory that is beets along with the creaminess of goat cheese and the satisfying crunch of romaine lettuce all balanced with a tangy vinaigrette made for a lovely dinner indeed.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Cut the greens and tails off of the beets, coat them in olive oil and a heavy pinch of salt, toss and wrap in foil. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from foil and let cool in a bowl until you can handle them. Peel by rubbing with your fingers and slice into rounds (the beets, not your fingers). Set aside. (This can be done up to a day ahead).

Preheat your grill to high. Season the steak liberally with salt. Grill steak for 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare. Set aside and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut into manageable pieces (4″ x 5″) and then slice against the grain into 1/4″ strips. Set aside.

In a large bowl add red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the mustard. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously to create an emulsion. Chop lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to the bowl. Drop in sliced beets and crumbled chèvre, toss to dress and serve out onto dinner plates. Divide sliced steak over each salad and serve with crusty bread (if desired) and an aggressive red (a Cabernet Sauvignon, for example).

Thanks! Hmm… are you making sure you are slicing across the grain of the meat? It is tempting to cut along it (If you look at the steaks pictured above, you’d mistakenly feel like you want to cut across the shorter direction (front to back in the photo)), but you need to cut across (which would be right to left in the photo), that breaks up the long muscle striations and it will just fall apart in your mouth. If you cut with the striations, you end up with tough meat, as your teeth have to work harder to tear through the muscle in the direction that it would have contracted in life.